Half a million cultural artifacts now protected with SmartWater

Local heritage professionals have surpassed the milestone of protecting over half a million objects of significant historical interest with Secured by Design member company DeterTech’s forensic marking solution SmartWater. This is both deterring theft and creating the best possible chance of recovered items being returned to their rightful owner, in this case the museums in which they are housed.   

The UN heritage body UNESCO ranks the smuggling of valuable artifacts out of the Middle East as one of the major global illicit industries, alongside arms, drugs and human trafficking. It is a significant source of revenue for terrorist groups and organised criminal gangs who rely on the challenge for law enforcement to prove that items have been stolen to evade prosecution.

The innovative project, funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund and led by archaeologist Professor Roger Matthews at the University of Reading, has changed the game with a focus on crime prevention and deterrence activity. It does this by adopting the same proven SmartWater forensic property marking methodology that has driven a steady increase in conviction rates for crimes otherwise hard to prove such as burglary, metal theft and repeat domestic abuse.

More than 40 museum professionals working in five separate museums across Iraq have been trained to tag and catalogue priceless artifacts housed in their collections. Initially, they apply a special formulation of SmartWater that is proven to cause no damage to inorganic artifacts such as ancient pottery, sculptures, coins and seals. They then log these items on a central database that irrefutably establishes the owner’s identity, its location and the date it was applied.  

The Secured by Design accredited SmartWater solution is invisible to the naked eye but clearly glows yellow-green under UV light. It is guaranteed to last for at least 30 years after application and able to withstand explosive blasts, harsh solvents and extreme environmental conditions. It also has a 100% successful conviction rate in contested court cases. This ensures it acts as a powerful deterrent to thieves and prospective buyers who do not wish to be caught in possession of stolen property. It also provides a robust form of traceability to law enforcement so that culturally significant items can be returned to their rightful owners.

Professor Roger Matthews, University of Reading, says: 

“We’re all immensely proud of this project, carried out in collaboration with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage and Sulaimani Antiquities. I’d like to acknowledge the work of Mr Ali Al Mahkzoomi, Dr Abbas Mandil, Mr Hashim Hama Abdullah and countless others on the ground to ensure the rich cultural history of the region is preserved for future generations..”   

Mr Ali Al-Mahkzoomi, the project’s administrator, adds:

“Heritage crime is enabled by morally bankrupt criminals and buyers who for too long have relied on anonymity to avoid prosecution for their heinous acts. We’re working diligently, one artifact at a time to protect our shared past and ensure the perpetrators of this illicit global trade can be brought to justice.”

Richard Harris, Director of Technical Services, DeterTech concludes:

“Europe and the US are key markets in which we see stolen cultural artifacts appearing and being offered to private collectors. We encourage law enforcement to routinely check for the presence of SmartWater and offer free forensic analysis in our accredited laboratory to any police force wishing to conclusively prove ownership of recovered goods”

For more information on DeterTech and its SmartWater forensic marking solutions, please visit detertech.com/solutions/smartwater.

Find out more about DeterTech’s Secured by Design accredited products on their dedicated member page.